Delhi to Chennai gets 20 coach Vande Bharat Express trains
The Indian Railways is expanding its semi high speed fleet by deploying 20 coach Vande Bharat Express trains across key national routes, a move aimed at easing capacity constraints and catering to surging passenger demand. With 13 pairs of such longer trains now operational, the network is witnessing a shift in how fast mobility is being reshaped for intercity travel.
Introduced in 2019, the Vande Bharat has become synonymous with speed, efficiency and passenger comfort. The trains are manufactured under the “Make in India” programme and symbolise the country’s transition towards modern mobility solutions that rival international benchmarks. Until now, most Vande Bharat trains were configured in 8 or 16 coach formations, but growing ridership has compelled the national transporter to scale up capacity.
Officials said 20 coach trains are now running on strategic corridors such as New Delhi to Varanasi, Mumbai to Gandhinagar, Chennai to Nagercoil, Howrah to Puri and Visakhapatnam to Secunderabad. The routes were chosen after demand studies indicated consistently high occupancy rates, with several stretches recording over 100 per cent utilisation during peak seasons.
Railway experts note that the 20 coach upgrade is more than just an operational tweak. It represents a new approach to sustainable transport, reducing the need for additional trains while carrying more passengers per service. This has the dual advantage of lowering per capita emissions and easing congestion at stations. For a country that is targeting net zero carbon goals, the efficiency of high capacity trains could be a game changer.
Beyond passenger convenience, the longer rakes also improve financial viability. More seats translate into higher revenue per trip without proportionately increasing operating costs such as crew deployment and track usage. Officials believe this could further strengthen the case for wider adoption of Vande Bharat services on medium and long distance corridors. Currently, 150 Vande Bharat services operate daily in both directions across India. While the flagship trains run at a maximum permitted speed of 130 kmph on most tracks, officials are working on track modernisation and signalling upgrades to enable higher speeds in the future. Industry watchers argue that the 20 coach trains, with their enhanced carrying capacity, will be instrumental in managing demand until such infrastructure improvements are in place.
For passengers, the message is clear: faster trains, more seats, smoother journeys. For policymakers, however, the development also raises a broader question how India can integrate high speed, high capacity travel with its larger vision of equitable, sustainable, and inclusive urban mobility. If implemented with foresight, the Vande Bharat expansion can redefine not just connectivity between cities but also the way India builds a greener and more accessible future of transport.
